Page 65 of A Dose of Pretty Poison

“I really wish I could, especially knowing I’m not sleeping here tonight, but—”

“Wait,” he interrupts me. “Why aren’t you sleeping here tonight?”

I turn my head to look at him. “I have my grandmother’s birthday dinner. I told you that already.”

“No, I know. I just thought you’d come here after.”

“I would, but I don’t know how late it’ll run, and I’m not sure my parents will believe me if I say I’m going to Mali’sagain. They’re probably already suspicious after the last week and a half.”

He doesn’t look happy, but he gets it. “Is it bad that I just want to keep you to myself in here?”

I shake my head. “No, because I want that, too. I’ll come over tomorrow morning before you go to practice, though.”

That’s the other thing that sucks this weekend—our schedules do not match well. I won’t see him all day today, or all night tonight, and then tomorrow I only get the morning and overnight with him. If Mali wasn’t already on me about our codependency issues, I’d cancel going to dinner with her tomorrow so I could have more time with him.

But she would annihilate me.

“If I’m still sleeping, feel free to wake me up with a blowjob,” he murmurs tiredly.

Rolling my eyes, I kiss his cheek and sit up. It isn’t until he tries to do the same that he hisses, holding his head in pain. I smile as he realizes the mistake of drinking so much with Cam last night.

“I was waiting for that,” I tell him, smirking playfully. “I’ll get the Advil.”

He hums as he lies back down. “See? You can’t go anywhere. It’ll be like leaving me here to die.”

“I could always call your mom to come take care of you.”

His eyes fly open as I stand next to his side of the bed. “You wouldn’t dare.”

I hand him the medicine and the glass of water I grabbed from the bathroom. “Yeah, I didn’t think you’d want that. Take these and go back to sleep for an hour. Something tells me I don’t think Cam will be at the bar early this morning either.”

“Oh, God,” he groans. “The banging of hammers!”

Yeah, now he’s starting to understand the consequences of his actions.

EVER SINCE I’VE BEENspending every night with Hayes, my bedroom just doesn’t feel the same. It lacks the comfort that it used to bring me. It still looks exactly as it always has, but it’s missing something.

It’s missinghim.

I sound crazy. I know that. We’ve only been dating a few months, openly for less, but I love him. I’m hands down, without a doubt, desperately in love with him. And I won’t ever apologize for diving all in with him.

“Cam! Laiken!” Mom calls. “We’re leaving! Let’s go!”

“Coming!” I shout back as I head down the stairs, only to see Cam wince.

He stares at me in a way that shows how hungover he is. “Must you yell?”

I grin sheepishly and mumble an apology as I slip past him. Our parents are waiting for us by the front door, all dressed up and ready to go. My mom smiles as she sees me and tucks my hair behind my ear.

“You’re so pretty,” she tells me. “It feels like I never get to see you anymore.”

The sadness in her voice hits a soft spot. I mean, it’s not like she went out of her way to spend time with me when I wasn’t spending every possible moment wrapped up in Hayes. But it’s nice to know that I’m missed.

“I’ve been meaning to go get a pedicure,” I reply. “We could both go next week.”

A smile spreads across her face. “I’d love that, sweetie.”

Cam finally saunters into the living room, taking his sweet ass time, and the four of us head out.

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